 Santa Monica Travel Guide
Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California
Author: Jelson25 (public domain)
Tools
Get a GPS and never get lost again!
Avoid charges for overweight luggage! Get a luggage scale for your trip.
Prepare for your trip!
|
Santa Monica (map) is a city by the coast of California to the west of Los Angeles. It faces Santa Monica Bay, and is bordered by Pacific Palisades and Brentwood to the north, West Los Angeles to the northeast, Mar Vista to the east, and Venice to the south.
Santa Monica covers 8.416 sq mi (21.797 sq km) and has a population of 90,000 (2011 estimate). The city is a mixed neighborhood counting among its residents Hollywood celebrities, students and full-time surfers.
Santa Monica Beach
Author: Tim.CA (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The area around Santa Monica was originally inhabited by the Tongva tribe of Native Americans. The Spanish under Gaspar de Portolá i Rovira arrived here in 1769 and named it after Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, as the settlement was established during her feast day.
Today Santa Monica is a tourist destination with a lively art scene. The city has a good number of tourist attractions. It also hosts the annual Santa Monica Film Festival, an annual event that began in 1996.
Will Rogers State Beach, Santa Monica
Author: Downtowngal (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
How to go to Santa Monica
It is best to go by car. From downtown Los Angeles, take US Highway 10 (also called the Santa Monica Freeway). If you rely on public transport, the Rapid Bus 720 and 704 goes to Santa Monica from Los Angeles.
Places of Interest in Santa Monica
- Bergamot Station
Art complex occupying the former Red Line trolley station.
- California Heritage Museum
Museum housed in the Queen Anne building by architect Sumner P Hunt in 1894. The museum showcases various periods of California history.
- Palisades Park
Public park stretching 1.5 miles along the cliff's edge in Santa Monica with views of the ocean.
- Santa Monica Main Street
A major shopping area in Santa Monica.
- Santa Monica Museum of Art
Museum which opened in 1998 to showcase contemporary and modern art as well as to provide exposure to works by living artists.
- Santa Monica Pier
Popular landmark of Santa Monica built in 1909 which also houses the oldest amusement park on the West Coast.
- Santa Monica Place
Indoor shopping mall designed by architect Frank Gehry.
- Third Street Promenade
Revived shopping street lined with stores, restaurants and cinemas.
- Will Rogers State Beach
Beach park on the Santa Monica Bay between Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica, where Baywatch used to be shot.
|
